Olympic hero Mo Farah to join list of Hampden greats as stars flock to Glasgow for IAFF Diamond League

11:50, 5 Mar 2014

Updated 12:13, 12 Mar 2014

ByScotland Now

THE London 2012 gold medallist's name will sit in the Hampden history books alongside sporting stars such as Pele and Zinedine Zidane after he competes in Sainsbury's Glasgow Grand Prix in July.

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Mo Farah will join the list of greats to have graced Hampden

HISTORIC sporting figures such as Pele, Zinedine Zidane, Diego Maradona and Franz Beckenbauer have all graced Scotland's National Stadium over the years.

Olympic gold medalist Mo Farah will become the latest name to be added to this list of heroes to feel the Hampden Roar.

Despite being largely known as an arena for football, hosting spectacles such as the Champions League Final in 2002 and the 2007 UEFA Cup Final, this summer will see some the world's best athletes arrive in the city for the Sainsbury's Glasgow Grand Prix and the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

No runner is more deserving of the Glasgow crowd’s welcome than Team GB legend Farah, whose World and Olympic double-double gold medal success is regarded the greatest feat in distance running.

Farah’s name shines like a beacon amid a world-class line-up confirmed yesterday for the Sainsbury’s Glasgow Grand Prix on July 11 and 12 – the ninth leg of the prestigious IAAF Diamond League.

Athletics stars will be flocking to Hampden this summer for the Sainsbury's Glasgow Grand Prix and the Commonwealth Games

Fellow World gold medallist Christine Ohuruogu, home favourite Eilidh Child and Britain’s new sprint sensation James Dasaolu reflect the elite standard set to be showcased.

But Farah above all else brings true star quality to the only Diamond League event on British soil this year.

And with uncertainty still hanging over his participation at the Commonwealth Games two weeks later it means Scottish fans are now guaranteed the chance to witness the track icon in action.

Farah said: “The Diamond League is always a major focus for athletes around the world and competing against the very best on a regular basis is a big motivation for me.

“Following my London 2012 double with another two gold medals in Moscow last year was amazing. To have become only the second man in history to win the ‘double double’ is something I am extremely proud of and will treasure for the rest of my life.

“Now 2014 is all about making sure I remain consistent and I will be looking to show that when I make my track return in Glasgow.

“Nothing in the world can compare to a British crowd and I will be doing everything I can to get the Hampden fans going.

“Glasgow will be one of my first appearances in front of a home crowd in 2014 – and having produced my best in London I can’t wait to get back out there and take in the home support.”

The 30-year-old – preparing for his outdoor season in the mountains of Iten, Kenya – is looking forward to returning to British soil for the next stage of his remarkable career.

His place in athletics folklore is already secure. By following up his London 2012 heroics with World 5000 metres and 10,000m gold in Moscow last summer Farah became only the second athlete after Kenenisa Bekele to hold both long distance Olympic and World titles.

His hunger for more will not allow him to rest there, however, having embarked on his long-term project to go for gold in the marathon at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

The New York half-marathon on March 16 (a race he won in 2011) is key to his preparations for the London Marathon four weeks later, which has long been the focal point of his early-season schedule.

Which event he chooses to compete in at the Diamond League in Glasgow on July 11 has yet to be confirmed.

But whatever distance he opts to run Farah is convinced taking on the world’s best at such a prestigious meeting can only be good for his progress.

He added: “I’ve been training hard in Kenya and hope to use the New York race to gauge my fitness one month out from my 26.2-mile debut.”